


The Keys

by PowerAdjustment



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mob, Character Deaths, F/F, Genderbending, Genderplay, Plot Twists, Smut, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-09
Updated: 2017-03-29
Packaged: 2018-06-07 12:02:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 21,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6803071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PowerAdjustment/pseuds/PowerAdjustment
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One tiny mistake, and they'll have to fight together to keep what is theirs. And even when they don't particularly want to work together more than they have to. A lot of new responsibilities will be shoved into their lives and a lot of new foes for them to have to overtake. SwanQueen Mob AU. This is an Emma G!P fic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Car Dealing

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy.

_Emma hopped out of her faded yellow Volkswagen bug at the abandoned stop light, all of the cars having gone around her. Damn car, she thought to herself as she kicked the dangling muffler, making it rattle loudly on the cement of her driveway. She was going to have to buy a new car that was for sure. She sighed loudly as she pulled out her phone to call her number 2 speed dial: Mikey's Big Tow For Low._

* * *

 

_The bell above the door at the used car sales shop jingled a happy jingle, much happier than Emma was feeling. Emma scowled at the ground having already picked the car she wanted, she just wanted to get everything out of the way so she could be on her way._

_"Can I help you?"_

_Emma looked the red streaked brunette up and down as she mockingly said, "Why, yes I was just wondering if this was the right place to buy a car?"_

_The red streaked girl rolled her neck while letting out a humorless laugh at Emma before remembering that she needed this job. "Well, you might be. What did you have in mind?"_

_Emma noticed the girl trying to keep her anger in from being mocked at so she took a deep breath and started again. "I'm sorry. It's not been a good day, car broke down for its final time today and I have a job up state that I have to be to by tomorrow night. I did not mean for the bitch vibe I just gave off. Honestly, I'm not the bad."_

_Ruby understood days like this and just gave the girl a sideways nod indicating that she was forgiven for the time being and repeated her question without the underlying wrath. "What did you have in mind? Ruby, by the way."_

_"Emma. The black Mercedes way in the back maybe. It seems easy on gas mileage so it sounds good. Plus it's an older make and I like vintage." She chuckled before she went on with the thought that had just popped into her head. "My dad wasn't ever very good at jokes, but he knew my tastes so he used to call me 'Vintage Emma'." Emma rambled all while crossing her arms and looking out of the window to the car she spoke of not even hearing when another person entered the room. Until they chuckled along with her._

_"I also enjoy a good vintage which is why that car is_ mine _."_

_Emma turned around to begin a fight with another customer, surely, until she saw the other person. The woman seemed to have a sky high vibe but she couldn't have been any more than 5'3". She had deep brown shoulder length hair that Emma had to fight herself on the need to run her hands through until it wasn't perfectly coiffed any longer. The woman's eyes seemed to bore a hole into Emma almost imploring her to come closer which she did just to see that they had gold, and oak colored starbursts running through the irises. Her body looked amazing in the 3 piece pantsuit that followed every curve to its extent if not a little on the tight side, but, boy, was the pull in all of the right places. Like how the vest was pulled completely taught across the woman's ample bosom and the thighs of the vaguely pinstriped pants showed just how little the woman's hips could lie in them. The buttons made Emma's eyes water at how they revealed enough to tease and implore someone to touch, but not enough for the woman to look cheap or to not to be taken seriously. The woman was a goddess if there ever was one. And she seemed important which is why Emma didn't argue, if that woman wanted the car then the car is what she'd have._

_"Regina Mills. You are?" The goddess was speaking again but Emma was only able to watch the way the scar above the woman's mouth moved with words as if she was learning a new language._

_"Em-" She started again when the squeak had left her voice through the coughs she forced to try to cover her rising blush. "Emma Swan."_

_Regina smirked and held her hand out to Ruby who scurried over to the rack full of assigned keys and picked the obviously personalized key and rushed to put it in Regina's hand. "As I was saying, the Mercedes is mine, but I wouldn't mind if you took her for a drive. I would, of course, have to supervise." At that point Regina didn't even know what she was saying. She had never let anyone drive her car before with or without supervision._

_Emma raised her brows at the offer and the way the woman held the keys out to her with seemingly gentle hands. Hands that that looked as if they would put the softness of a could to shame. "I'm okay. How about the little Nissan? It's only me and I don't need much room just enough to pack a couple of bags and be on my way. Work ya know?"_

_Regina nodded and put the keys in her blazer pocket making Emma's eyes follow her movements. She had seen the way the young woman's eyes roved over her body and it felt good for that to happen when someone wasn't sizing her up, but instead 'checking her out'. "Very well. I don't think that car is right for you though..."_

_"Well if you have any ideas I'm open to them." Emma flung her arms out helplessly not too mad about the time that she was quickly running out of if it meant talking to Regina longer. Regina flicked her wrist and Ruby went off again to an unmarked door and practically ran through it trying to get away. "New kid?"_

_"No, not new," was all Regina said, ignoring Emma's questioning eyes, before she lead the woman outside and around the back where Emma saw exactly what she wanted, and was surprised when Regina spoke first. "I was thinking this. Now, I know it's this god awful yellow and it's not the newest model, but, as we've learned, you don't mind age. Plus, I know you have to be a 16 year old girl to really want a car like this, but alas, it fits your needs."_

_It was a bright yellow Volkswagen bug, 2009 model, and Emma was in love before she heard Regina call the color 'god awful' "Hey now! I like the yellow a lot actually! Also, I am 30 years old and I happen to love this car!" Emma cleared her throat and straightened her jacket. "How much?"_

_Regina smirked at the girl's defense and eagerness before she rattled off the price and lead the woman back inside to sign the papers. She was never one for love at first sight but she was definitively in like. In like at first sight. She kept her internal fight to herself even as she walked Emma out to her new car and opened the door for her and handed her her new keys as they brushed past each other on her way into the front seat. "I do hope you enjoy and I hope whatever work calls you goes well."_

_Emma smiled brightly at Regina, hoping the woman couldn't tell just how much she wanted her to eat her whole. Figuratively of course. "Thank you, not just for the car, but calming me down too. And for Camille." Emma rubbed the steering wheel affectionately as she spoke the given name._

_Regina just pointed at the car in question and nodded to herself when Emma chuckled with a light blush. "Ah, the old naming a car thing?" Emma nodded silently and Regina was beginning to think that the woman couldn't get anymore beautiful the way her eyelashes flutter over dazzling green eyes. She shook herself of it anyway and continued. "Well, Miss Swan I must be off."_

_"Me too,_ Miss Mills _." Emma smirked when even Regina's olive toned skin glowed pink at the tips of her cheeks bones._

_As Regina watched the car pull off of the lot she couldn't help but smile humorlessly at the way that woman had come in and interrupted her daily obligations and needs yet she still wanted to see her again._

_"Well, shit. Regina, you like her." She spoke to herself quietly as she ran her hands down her sides until they reached pockets and they buried themselves there, hoping to stop the fidgeting. She hadn't felt this way in quite some time, but it was something that's for sure. She was feeling something._


	2. Gotta Go

_Regina whistled as soon as she was back inside of the car shop and Ruby popped her head out of the door to make sure the whistle was for her before she came out fully. "That car, it's clean?"_

_Ruby nodded dutifully and Regina sagged in relief. It really wouldn't bode well with her if something happened in that car and it was traced back to her business, no matter its validity. She had been at this for too long for it to bite her now. Drugs, order, and money that's what Regina did. Still, some called her a 'Mob Boss', but if anything she was a Queen and a bit more refined to be called anything of the sort. She did this tastefully unlike any of the ' Mob Bosses' before her. Plus, she wasn't the only one, just the smartest.  She was a world known dealer, well,_ she _wasn't but the alias she used was. The Evil Queen. And she only had one competitor, The Savior, but they had come to an agreement of sorts to work together. In Regina's mind though, The Savior worked_ for _her._

_"Boss?" Ruby called softly so as not to upset the brunette beauty in disguise. "What happens now?"_

_Regina ran a hand through her hair but not enough to ruin the perfection. "I'm not sure but she paid in full. If she comes back that's when we have a problem." With that she strode from the room with her held high and shut the door to her office softly. Ruby's shoulders sagged as she went back to her desk to wait from a phone caller from the next buyer. Whoever that may be._

* * *

_Emma was happier than she felt she should be with her new car or maybe it was the dealer that dealt her the car. She felt like she was betraying Buggy with how happy she was about Camille, but she honestly couldn't care less. Still, she felt like she was betraying herself by driving off of the lot without even a number for the brunette goddess that could tease without even trying. Over all Emma was thinking about how her job would take her mind off of it, but thinking about how her mind would be off of the car saleswoman only made her think about her more._

_Her thoughts were cut off by a soft beep in her ear signaling she had an incoming call. "Yeah?"_

_"Hey, Swan. Where the hell are you?" The voice sounded nervous and she couldn't help but laugh at her best friend, Archie. He was new to the whole gig and he had apparently arrived early by the sounds of the room he was in._

_"Arch, I'm about 5 hours out. Car broke down had to get a new one." Emma heard half of what he was saying in reply do to an girl coming up to obviously hit on him 'Hey, big boy'. An absolute cringe worthy pick up._

_"I'm sorry. As I was saying... I showed up early and now s_ he's _asking for you."_

_Emma sighed at those words it was never good when Archie got nervous, and even worse when the woman Archie spoke of wanted you. "Okay, uh...plan change, I''ll take tolls and be there in 3 and a half hours. Arch, calm down."_

_Emma heard Archie's audible sigh and let out her own. "It's not that easy- even I know that, Em."_

_"I said I would be there didn't I?"_

_Another loud sigh followed by a groan. "Alright, Emma. See ya soon, kid."_

_"Yeah, yeah. Bye, dud."_

_Emma pushed the button attached to the bluetooth in her ear and the flashing green light turned red before she growled loudly into the car. She really hated having to please this damn woman or anybody for that matter. It was her area, and the woman had to come barging into_ her _area. Because Emma could never have anything all to herself, but you wouldn't hear her complain about it. She wasn't going to start now either, so she turned her radio up as loud as it would go and sped up planning to make it within the time frame she gave Archie._

* * *

_Regina sighed heavily when her call had been cut off due to a delay in her suppliers supplies. Waiting; it really wasn't something she appreciated. She had never been a patient person and when things weren't getting taken care of  fast enough she did the only thing she knew how to do which was to do it her damn self._

_"Ruby!" She really hated waiting._

_"Yeah?" Ruby questioned as she popped her head inside the door and waited for the wave of Regina's hand before she came to stand fully in the woman's office._

_"I want my transportation spotless. Nothing, you understand? I will be going away for a little while, it seems some of my jurisdiction needs tightening. I don't want the car either so hide it." Regina stood up and put her jacket on over the top of her vest and fluffed her hair back out before strolling past Ruby to the mirror to apply a coat of dark burgundy lip tint._

_"Oh, Ruby?" Ruby turned to make contact with the woman in the mirror."Close shop while I'm gone, too."_

_Ruby knew her signal and she dashed from the room to do her job. She needed this job. Badly._

* * *

_3 hours later and Emma was 20 minutes out of town. She was surprised that she was going to be even earlier than she expected. Ha, Emma Swan was going to be early!_

_She was so proud of herself that she didn't even watch the planes landing like she usually did when she made it to the landing field. If she would've looked though, she would've seen a new plane that had never landed there before._


	3. The Great and Powerful Her?

_"What are we landing on, boss, a landmine?"_

_Regina rolled her eyes at Ruby, sometimes the girl could ask the most ridiculous questions and expect them answered in a not ridiculous way. Except Regina could agree with the landing, yes they could get bumpy on the landings but this was extreme. "I guess this is what you get when you do business with people in Storybrooke Maine."_

_Ruby smiled softly at the woman who was clutching her arm rests as discretely as she could even as the bumps and bangs were done. Regina Mills was her Aunt, not by blood but it was the same to Ruby. She never got the story of why but Regina had been raised with her mother, who was 8 years older than Regina, and by her granny. When Ruby's mother died at 32 she was 13, and granny got put in jail for a silly drug charge, Regina took her, and the family business, in and gave her a place to live even if living with a 24 year old Regina wasn't the safest place Ruby wouldn't trade it for anything. Regina had given her a job at 16 washing the cars that came around their home for 'business' and eventually she was able to convince the woman to give her a job at the less than legitimate car lot. Of course that was after a blowout fight with Regina about how Ruby knew exactly what the 'business' was. Regina hated it when she called her 'boss', but she couldn't help but love the little scowl she got in response to the nickname every time she said it. The scowl hadn't changed and she was receiving it still. "Boss, you gotta calm down. We are landed so it's all good, right?"_

_Another eye roll attached to a stronger scowl. "Right." She cleared her throat and gave the instructions. "I want my bags to the rental. Once you've done that I also want you in the car. Waiting, I'll be there soon. Now off."_

_Ruby whined for about half a second before Regina cut her off. "You wanted in, am I correct?"_

_A nod in response was all she got. "Then you will listen to what I tell you, my dear niece, and you will follow orders top to bottom. Now. Off." She gave the 19 year old a pointed look and was pleased when the girl's shoulders sagged and she got up to follow the orders originally given._

_"Now, if only the people here would listen to me that well," Regina spoke out loud to the empty cabin while unbuckling her seat belt and sliding the shiny black pumps onto her feet after the 40 minute trip. She threw her jacket over her shoulder as she followed the girl down the craft steps and straight into a mud filled field. With a sigh she thought that maybe she could've waited for a call back at the shop, but once again she had to pull through for herself._

* * *

_Rounds of 'hey', 'yo', nicknames and rowdy slaps on the back greeted her when she walked into the pub slash pool hall. She had missed it even though she had to tell herself everyday that she didn't just so she could make it through the year away._

_"Em, what's up with the beater out back. Ya upgrade or somthin'?" An old friend and confidant, August, said as he walked up behind her and handed her a beer._

_"Nah, old bug broke down. Didn't even get to picnic with her a last time, but she gave her all so I let her go in peace, ya know?" A picnic was what they called a drunk drive-thru run. "Hey where's the arm candy I keep hearing about from all the boys?"_

_August chuckled and held in his burp before he opened his bag to pull out the book he had began working on and the same book the boys at the pub had begun to call the 'gal of his dreams'. "They're talking about the book, Em. The asshats even set up a surprise date with her for me by stealing her one morning and sending me on a scavenger hunt all over town until I found her here with a romantic set up, candles, food, and all that good shit. I didn't mind it 'cause I got two free meals out of it, she don't eat much."_

_Emma had spit out most of her drink halfway through the explanation and was going to reply before the pub got quiet before all she could hear were whispers of someone looking for The Savior. "Who wants to know?" She made herself known by standing up and shouting it so she could be heard over the growing whispers._

_"Well, if I had known that this is what 'work' was for you then I might have set you up with a better car, Miss Swan."_

_Emma's eye widened at the voice before she looked around at everybody and schooled herself. "I told you I liked the car. What are you doing here?"_

_"I believe I was expecting a call from The Savior and since they didn't call within a reasonable amount of time, I came to them instead. Why are you here?" Regina smirked as she watched Emma physically search for answers._

_"You know what? How about you come with me and I'll take you to her." Emma turned and as expected Regina followed but as she made it to the backroom's door she turned and looked at Ruby pointedly. "Not her though. Only you."_

_Regina nodded and flicked her wrist at Ruby making the girl roll her eyes and turn around to take a seat at the bar they had just passed. "Okay, now?"_

_Emma tipped her head and opened the door, motioning for Regina to go first. It was a dimly lit room with a desk in front of the back window and a tattered leather chair pushed halfway under it. The lamp on the corner of the desk was all that lit the room and was the only light Regina had to watch as Emma shut the door and walked smoothly around the desk to sit in mentioned tattered chair. Regina watched as Emma took off her black leather jacket and straightened her shirt before her shoulders squared and she folded her hands. She realized what Emma was doing, becoming a different person, and when the woman looked up her eyes were no longer fun and open and bright like they were when she bought her car. No, these were the eyes of someone who got shit done. They were harsh and cold and yet they looked as if they could burn you if you were in her sight, and Regina was. "What is it that you wanted to speak about?"_

_"I told you, Miss Swan, I want to speak to this infamous Savior. So, where is she?"_

_Emma scoffed and leaned back so her crossed fingers laid on her stomach. "You just can't believe it, huh?"_

_Regina was confused before she scolded herself for not realizing what was happening. "You?"_

_Emma flung her arms out and said, "Me"._

_"But, you never sounded like this on the phone." Regina fumbled a bit, never something she felt comfortable doing._

_Emma laughed at that and itched her forehead before raising a finger for Regina to hold on as she explained. Emma pushed a button discretely while Regina watched her finger held up in the air._

_"What's up?" Regina jumped when August popped his head in._

_"Hey, Aug, do the voice thing."_

_August rolled his eyes before clearing his throat and when he spoke it was almost 10 octaves higher than his original voice. "What did you need, Emma?"_

_Emma smiled at him gratefully, allowing him to leave before looking to Regina who looked either more impressed than she wanted or more flabbergasted than she wanted. "Does that help anything?"_

_Regina nodded and took a deep breath but was cut from asking another question when Emma had one of her own. "You never sounded like you either. I'm sure I would've recognized your voice if I'd heard it before. "_

_Regina had her smirk back when she answered. "That's because you never actually spoke to me as I have never actually spoken to you apparently. It was Ruby."_

_Emma looked impressed, obviously thinking back to all of the intelligent business deals she had made with the girl. "Well, then I guess she_ isn't _new, is she?"_

_Regina chuckled at that remembering Emma question not that long ago. "No, she's not. She, unfortunately, grew up around it so she is not new to the car lot nor the deals I make with you."_

_"The Evil Queen, huh?"_

_Regina smirked. "It seems my reputation precedes me."_

_Emma scoffed at the woman's barely concealed pride. "Proceeds? Yeah, that's an understatement. Do you have any idea how hard it was to get my people to trust me after that little incident last year? You had three of my men_ executed _!" Emma hadn't realized how mad she still was about until she brought it up again at that moment or until she saw Regina act as she brought it up._

_Regina checked her nails nonchalantly as She felt Emma's anger rising and took pride in the fact that the calm girl could look so sexy when angry and that she was the one she was mad at. She would also deny it to the death that she thought Emma was any part of sexy at that moment. "Would you like me to explain myself? I won't. They interfered and got themselves offed for it."_

_She shrugged at the end which made Emma stand abruptly, the chair rolling far enough to hit the window behind her. "That may be part of the job, but you killed my_ family _! And for what? Because they were doing their jobs and protecting_ you _from being mauled by that fucker from the Locksley family. That's what family does! Protect. I couldn't do that for them because your pride got them killed. They didn't get themselves killed. You killed them!"_

_Regina stood now and placed her hands three inches from Emma's on the desk and snarled right back at the woman who had so much hurt in her eyes. "What do you know?"_

_Emma squinted, not even realizing their proximity as she spoke. "What do I know about what?"_

_Regina growled at having to ask for answers that should be given to her. "About the Locksley's."_

_Emma smirked evilly knowing that she had hit some kind of nerve in this woman by bringing up that bastard. "I know that you guys were pretty serious, almost ready to integrate. I know that he had a family on the side. A whole family with kids, Regina. I know that you killed my brothers to show that bastard that he would be next, but I also know that he never came next because rumor has it that the Queen has a soft spot for kids. I know that you sent them back to me in perfectly wrapped body bags. Body bags that their families had to open and identify. Mothers, wives, children, friends, and you don't care because you have your head entirely too far up your own ass to see any of that reason! That's what I know!"_

_Emma was breathing hard by the end of her spiel of information, and Regina could do nothing but watch the way the woman's chest moved rapidly with her heavy breaths. She had gotten so upset and Regina could do nothing but applaud her for having facts to back up her outrage. Emma finally realized how close they had gotten and took the chance to take in the features of Regina's face while they were this close because with the way it was going so far there was no way they were going to be this close again. Regina's eyes were so open and there was no way the goddess could lie to her now that she could see all of the emotions her information had brought up. She took a deep breath and exhaled before she turned and retrieved her chair before sitting calmly once again, hands folded in front of her like they had been 5 minutes prior to the outburst._

_She looked up at a surprised Regina and smirked at the silence. "Now, what would you like to discuss,_ Your Majesty _?"_


	4. Need To Know Basis

_Regina stood up from her hunched position over the blonde's desk and straightened her jacket, primly sitting like the lady she had momentarily forgot she was. "I want an answer on my offer."_

_Emma smirked at the woman in a condescending manner that Regina didn't know if she wanted tear or kiss off. "You call taking over my territory an offer?"_

_Regina crossed and uncrossed her legs trying to disperse with the sudden heat she felt pool between her thighs. "I do. But you obviously don't so, please, elaborate."_

_"My family, my territory, that's it that's all. Do you honestly think that my guys will suddenly like, better yet trust, you if you were to take over only to make yourself more money at their expense?" Emma tipped her head to the side, wondering what the insufferably attractive woman was really up to with this 'offer'._

_"I think that you could make them trust me if I were to make it more_ comfortable _around here for you. And this has nothing to do with money." Regina enticed with a raised eyebrow which Emma readily followed with her blazing sea foam eyes._

_Emma licked her lips before leaning forward as if to tell a top secret secret. "No."_

_Regina's jaw dropped at the word as if it was an insult being flung at her in German. "I think you just need to think about this, Emma. The Locksley's are planning to take it by force. What kind of savior are you if you won't take the one opportunity you have to actually save?"_

_Emma had to squint her eyes at that. She had inside people with the Locksley's; they weren't the hardest family to infiltrate. To be honest she was worried that if what Regina was saying was true that she would have to deal with a few supposedly 'loyal' people, but not right now. "And who's to say that once we come together you won't run to them and marry in?"_

_Regina pursed her lips at that not believing that this woman would think so low of her standards. Then again she was dating the second in command, and she remembered why Emma would think so low of her. Flipping he hair haughtily she answered. "I know that you have information about me that may incline you to believe that, but that isn't nor will it ever be an option. There is a war coming, Swan, and this little pathetic family of yours will be wiped out if you don't accept the offer."_

_Emma's brow furrowed not having known anything about an impending war, and thinking over the things she does know. Her town was getting very restless and she didn't like when they got restless because that's when they get reckless. Maybe she needed to take the offer and turn Swan-Mills. At least it would give them something to be restless about. At least then they would plan their attacks in a more tactful way._

_Regina watched as Emma ticked off the pros and cons of working with her on a deeper level than just car parts and drugs. She looked, dare she say it, cute when her brow was furrowed in contemplation like that. She watched as one hand traveled below the desk and came back, only having to wait a minute before August's head popped in again._

_"Yeah?"_

_Emma smirked at the lipstick adorning the man's cheeks before speaking. "What do you think about being a Swan-Mills?"_

_August stepped all the way into the room bringing an intoxicated Ruby behind him, obviously as drunk as she was at that point if the hazy smiles had anything to do with it. He didn't have an opinion on anything so he asked the woman that was currently close making him a momma koala. "What about you Rubes?"_

_Ruby turned with quickly sobering wide eyes to Regina who nodded for her to answer truthfully. "I- I think it would be hard at first, but it would work well for what that prick is setting up."_

_Both Emma and August turned to Ruby with shocked expressions asking questions at the same time._

_"Who?" August._

_"What's he planning?" Emma._

_Ruby seemed to shrink from the disappointing eye roll Regina sent her way._

_"Who, Ruby?" August asked while gently shaking her shoulder._

_Emma's decision had been made already but she figured if she could get more out of this she would postpone her answer._

_Ruby gulped and Regina sighed before speaking for the girl. "Robin. I told you he's planning on taking over the area."_

_Emma nodded and hummed before August asked the question she was going to. "And how do you know this?"_

_"Inside people."_

_August scoffed and crossed his arms, buzz obviously wearing thin as this continued. "We have people on the inside too."_

_Regina smiled sympathetically. "Yes, you do, but they found they liked it better there than they did here. I wouldn't blame them."_

_Emma huffed and scratched at her forehead. That was becoming Regina's new favorite mannerism of hers. "Well, how do you know_ that _?"_

_The red streaked girl shrugged and repeated, "Inside people."_

_Emma surveyed the girl approvingly. She had a certain way about her that made Emma more interested in what she could do. She could handle herself in tough situations, when Regina wasn't staring her down, and she spoke like she knew what was going on. Yet, she did know what was going on and you could tell. There was no lust in Emma's eyes, but she did want the girl on her side. "Ruby, do you ever think about being a finder?"_

_Ruby looked to Regina again for approval, receiving a subtle shake in the negative she shrugged and hummed softly. Yes, she had thought about it ever since she was able to find clues and hidden paperwork all over the house when nobody wanted to tell her anything. Regina had dismissed the idea as soon as it had formed, making her never speak of it again._

_Regina cleared her throat and stepped in front of Ruby to shield her from Emma's offering eyes. She knew the girl craved freedom, but right now she needed to be taken care of. She would not have the girl out hunting criminals of the families. "She has nothing to do with this. If you want your men found then you can do it yourself or send August."_

" _Eh!" August said but was cut off from any other protest by Emma's hand flying into his face._

" _I want it to be equal. My people will be your people. Your people will be my people. You will make sure they will take my orders as seriously as they would take yours, and I will do the same for you with my people. No matter how much you think your guys will be saving mine, and that this offer is all for my benefit, we know that you wouldn't be offering it unless you needed our help too." Emma stared Regina down waiting for the acceptance of her rules._

_Regina smirked a bit and put her hand out knuckles up and spoke. "We aren't actually getting married, but I suppose your conditions are simple enough. Deal."_

_Emma let a small smile grace her lips before the room grew silent as Regina's hand stayed poised between them as if waiting for something to happen. Ruby coughed and directed her eyes from Emma's to Regina's hand a couple of times before puckering her lips so Emma would understand. Emma scoffed at the woman and crossed her arms. "You've_ got _to be kidding me."_

_Regina smirked at the woman before she spoke her reasoning. "I have to say that I am not kidding in any fashion, Miss Swan. It has been done this way for years. Now, please, kiss it."_

" _Okay, and this shows allegiance or something?" August was behind them all with red cheeks as he held in his laughter but it stopped as soon as Emma sent a toppling glare his way._

" _It's a sign of the respect you will give me."_

_Emma scoffed at that. A lot of things she could give willingly, but respect had to be earned from Emma. "Yeah, uh-uh. You'll have to earn that just like the rest of us around here, Your Majesty."_

_Regina sniffed at that and raised her hand a bit more, not willing to explain her seemingly simple demand any more than she already had. What she didn't expect was for Emma to breeze past her with the sarcastic parting words of, "Come on, woman, I'll buy a round to celebrate the marrying of kingdoms!"_

_August shook his head at her apologetically before turning to follow his boss out of the room. Regina turned to Ruby with a look of disgust, disbelief, and interest all wrapped in one. "So, boss, that went well, huh?"_

_She huffed and dropped her hand that had stayed airborne the whole time and stomped from the room trying not to think of the way the woman's natural scent had blew all around her in an intoxicating way as she disrespectfully left the room to buy the drinks. One thing was for sure with Emma she found; she was going to break a lot of traditions because of the foolishly beautiful woman. She couldn't find in herself to care much once she came out of the hidden office to see Emma smiling brightly in her direction as if it was only for her to see. She hadn't even noticed when Emma's smile turned to a smirk at the small blush that adorned her cheeks when Emma's eye twinkled at her._


	5. Plan B

_It hadn't taken long for the drinks to roll and the fun to fill the tiny space of the pub. Soon everyone was dancing carefree and happy. Emma sat and watched as Regina really tried to cover up the fun she was having with her new family. She even chuckled when August tried to pull the woman to the dance floor but stopped once he got a look of more evil than he could handle. The woman was beautiful the way she thought she was secretly categorizing everyone in the place. Her eyes would follow each person for a moment before making mental connections that not even some of that person's family knew. And Emma really liked it when Ruby would ask her a question and her eyes would turn soft before rolling themselves into her head and acquiescing to the girl's want. She really liked the way the woman would glare at August every time he tried to uproot her from her seat, and how her crossed legs would cross and uncross as if she was going to get up before she just made herself more comfortable. Emma made the decision only after her feet had moved her halfway to the brunette goddess._

" _Hey," Emma said more like a question._

_Regina turned to her and shrugged her shoulders evenly while keeping her prim posture. "Hey."_

_Emma nodded towards the other seat with her head. "Can I sit?"_

_Regina closed her eyes softly before nodding and watching as Emma slid smoothly into the seat across from her._

" _So, are you going to tell me why the Locksley's have the sudden interest in Storybrooke?" Emma sniffed and looked around as she waited for an answer._

_Regina sighed and turned from examining the blondes profile to answer. "When Robin and I were…together we talked of taking over the most prosperous zones. Yours was on that list. When we broke up I abandoned the idea. He, obviously, did not. He has an awful work ethic so his family was failing, but they were strong fighters and they have amazing trackers. Still, with all of that, they were broke. So I know he's willing to fight dirty and hard for everyone's money. I don't want my people to have to stand alone against his nor do I want yours to have to."_

_Emma nodded at this more so in appreciation for a straight forward answer for once. "Who else is he going after?"_

_Regina turned towards the blonde again and watched as she spoke her answer. "You mean who has he already taken?"_

_Emma turned with wide eyes as she thought of the consequences that could come from that. "Who?"_

" _Hatters, Darlings, and Midas." Regina picked up her drink and gulped the last of it before she raised an eyebrow at Emma, waiting._

_Emma ordered both of them another drink before she too turned to Regina. "That's not just a marrying, Regina. That's a takeover, damn near! What are we supposed to do?"_

_Regina bit her lip and watching Emma scratch a red mark on her forehead. "I was hoping you could help me with that."_

_Emma looked into Regina's eyes seeing only fear and hope shining back she nodded and took the drinks and stood to walk to her office. They needed to talk about this in private even if neither one of them trusted the other in that situation. "Alright. Come on."_

_Regina looked confused for a moment but took her drink from Emma and followed the women pass the bar, internally chuckling when Emma mumbled something and picked up the entire bottle of scotch on her way past. Still, she knew that they were probably going to need it._

* * *

_Emma downed her shot before filling it again and sitting down to begin speaking to the slightly fidgeting beauty in front of her. "Regina."_

_Regina looked up from the amber liquid that was spinning even against the edges of her glass to give the blonde her attention._

" _We have to protect what is ours and I refuse to give up my family or product without a fight. I provide all of them with merchandise. There's no way they will be able to function without me or what is mine. I just need to tighten up on who has power over what here."_

_Regina sighed and crossed her legs letting her foot bobble a couple of times while she thought. "It's not that easy, Emma. They have so many more people than we do even if we are combined now. We have to go about this strategically."_

_Emma drank the last of her cups contents, suddenly feeling bold enough to stand and walk around her desk to stand in front of Regina. She crossed her arms and braced one foot in front of the other before smirking at the woman. "And what would your strategy have been had I not said yes?"_

_Regina felt her breath quicken with Emma so close, the way she could see the woman's body and all of the curves she had under the tacky jacket and oddly, but appealingly so, loose jeans. She tipped back her own drink and leaned forward enough to hear Emma's gasp when her head came within inches of her stomach to set the glass next to the other woman's hip on the desk. With renewed confidence she sat back herself and put her arms on the arms rest, effectively opening herself up to Emma and looking up at her through a lidded gaze. "My plan was getting you to agree. I don't do plan B's, Em-ma."_

_Emma's breath hitched at the sound of Regina saying her name like that and_ _she felt her nipples tighten against her suddenly too tight bra. If she were honest other things tightened too, like her pants. Everything was tight and she felt herself heating at the not so close vicinity they were in, that suddenly seemed like too close or not close enough. "I like that you are so confident. But we need to be even more confident in our abilities so I'd like it if we could have a plan B this time."_

_Regina loved the way she could make the woman go all breathy when she answered and decided to up the notch a bit by standing up and coming to stand less than 2 inches from the blonde and tilting forward just to be that much closer. "And what would you like that plan to be?"_

_Emma took a deep breath before pushing the enticing woman away from her with both hands so she could go back to her seat, too bold is what she thought while shaking her head at herself for starting it. "I would like for it to be us winning this, but with what you've started here… I don't see that happening."_

_Regina, immediately defensive at that comment, surged forward placing one hand on the desk in front of the woman and the other pointing in her direction. "I have done_ nothing _here. It was always his plan, I just made a list. He took advantage of my pull with all of the families and look at where he is now. He used me and I will not sit here and be reprimanded while he walks around as king of the mobs with unrightfully full pockets and charging armies at his fingertips! I will not sit here and be…_ ridiculously _turned on by you, doing absolutely nothing might I add, while he is plotting a way to take what is mine. I will fight for it! Even if that means doing it alone because you think this is my entire fault."_

_Emma eyes and jaw opened wide at Regina as she listened and she was so shocked she almost hadn't heard the woman's confession. "So let me get this straight. This isn't your fault. You feel that any money we have is_ rightful _?" She said that with disbelieving chuckle, they were criminals not saints. "And you get turned on by me just sitting here?"_

_Regina groaned as she saw the cocky smirk painting itself across Emma's features, realizing that working with this woman was going to be harder than originally expected. And wishing she did do plan B's because if this didn't work at least she would have one of those to fall back on. "It's not my fault, Emma. I'm just trying to prevent it from continuing. Yes, the money that I earn by taking dangerous, and illegal, risks every day_ is _rightfully mine. And, well, yes. Have you seen yourself, Miss Swan?"_

_Emma nodded and chose to ignore the barely concealed lust in the woman's comment. "Okay, fine. I get it, he took everyone by force so it's not his and you worked hard to take yours from…whoever. Ain't that some logic there?" She cut herself off again with a chuckle. "If you're so adamant about this then why haven't you come up with anything this whole time instead of watching it happen?"_

_Regina sighed at that. Of course she had thought of things, they just weren't very good. She had started to become distant to it all once Robin took the Hatter's. She really had thought they would be endlessly faithful to her, but she was wrong. That was why; she just didn't have much confidence in her network anymore therefore less confidence in herself. She loved the way the woman couldn't take her gorgeous green orbs off of her chest, lips, hair, hips, and anything she moved even slightly. She was so attentive._

" _Do you like what you see, Emma?" Regina said as she rounded the desk and came to the same side of the desk as Emma was seated. She pushed out Emma's chair and perched her rump on the edge of the desk forcing Emma to make her move._

_Emma's eyes traveled the length of Regina's body before her yes landed on eyes that tried to convey confidence and swagger but only seemed to scream want and need. Emma licked her lips and slowly stood from the seat. She inched her body forwards until they were touching, chest to chest. She reached out with her hand making Regina sigh when she felt the blondes forearm brush against her hip softly. Her hand finally reached its destination when she grasped onto Regina's cup that had been abandoned, and pulled it to her cup that was siting just as empty. Her other hand repeated the motion to grab the bottle of scotch, just as sensually as before. All while emeralds kept the deliciously burning contact with the melting chocolates in front of them, loving the way the woman's chest was jogging up against hers at fast intervals now. She brought the bottle up to Regina's other hip and raised a brow at the look of pure lust. She had to play it cool or else she would spring to life and there would be no going back after that._

_Regina saw what the woman was doing but she wouldn't have it as she lunged forward only to be stopped by the bottle and cup coming between them. Effectively stopping the actions from continuing, Emma frowned and poured until the glass was half full again and shaking her head as she repeated the task on the other glass. She spoke ominously as she shoved the drink into Regina's hands. "You don't know what you're getting yourself into with me, Regina."_

_Regina hummed disapprovingly at the blonde and sipped lightly at the burning liquid courage. "And what am I getting myself into, Miss Swan?"_

" _You don't want me. You_ won't _want me if you knew me well enough…" She trailed off before shaking her head again at her own self-esteem count dropping. "What is your plan B, Regina?"_

_Regina downed the drink not even wincing anymore and slammed her drink down before taking Emma's and slamming it down too, some of the left over contents slipping past the brim and onto the cherry wood desk. She shook herself as if this were a championship game that she had to win and climbed into Emma's lap, relishing in the loud gasp it provoked. "This… is my plan B, Emma. Your move."_

_Emma let out a feral growl before she dug her nails into Regina's hip and the nape of her neck, taking the woman's lips by force. Regina moaned and regained her balance by gripping Emma's shoulders and returning the hungry kiss with enthusiasm. It wasn't soft or gentle by any means. It was their pure carnal desires being laid at the others feet. Before long Regina was grinding in the air and Emma was nipping at the woman's jaw, leaving little red marks in each nip's wake._

" _Touch me," Regina breathed as she took one of Emma's hands in her own and brought it to her chest and squeezing in prompt._

_Emma squeezed her eyes shut at the feeling of the woman's nipples poking into her palm through her shirt. It was all too much and she felt herself long and hard against the zipper of the jeans she wore. "I really think we should…" A moan from the sensations of teeth biting down on to her ear lobe interjected her speech. "We should stop, Regina."_

_Regina pulled back and made Emma eyes follow her hand down to her shirt and made those lust ridden eyes follow the rising hem as she lifted it above her head. She spoke once the shirt was off and she began to remove the imposing bra. "Why?"_

_Regina went to unbutton Emma's pants and when her fingers brushed against her sensitive member she jumped and nearly shouted with tightly squeezed eyes. "Because I have a penis!"_

_Regina movements stopped all together and she looked at Emma with a look. A look that if looks could kill, she would be dead on the spot._


	6. But First a Plan A

" _I'm sorry?" Regina spoke eerily calm at what Emma had told her._

_Emma buttoned her pants and attempted to stand before realizing she was very much so still hard and decided against it. "I'm not lying, Regina. I didn't mean to lead you on. I can't seem to help myself around you, but I really did try to keep myself in check so it wouldn't come to this."_

_Regina nodded and pulled her shirt back over her head silently. Her look of death turned to confusion and distance quickly after the initial shock of it all. "You have a penis and my ex is plotting to take over this metaphorical world. This is a complete joke; my life."_

_Emma struggled with herself to not be offended at the brunette's words, she knew she was still processing like a normal human being would be. "I'm sorry. I'm never like this with anyone."_

_Regina nodded numbly as she stood up and looked the woman in the eyes as she tried to turn her thoughts to words. She was more fascinated than she would admit. She hated the she had instantly thought of Emma pushing into her over the smooth cherry wood desk. Over and over again. "I'm not hurt, offended, or even put off by any of this. Just give me a moment. "_

_Emma nodded and scratched her head, realizing that she was going to have a mark if she continued with the itching. "That's something I can do. You can ask me questions…if you'd like."_

_Regina wrapped her arms around herself to take away some of the vulnerability that was bound to be showing. "What other contracts have you got going?"_

_Emma's neck could've broken from the subject change but she scurried up to her desk without leaving the seat and searched her drawers until she found what she wanted. "Gold, Wolfe, the Stalk's , and the D'emi's. Why?"_

_Regina ignored her question and continued on. "We will call them all and request to arrange a grouping with a limit of 3 conditions. We make the original territory cuts and they will negotiate with their allotted conditions. We will provide them with 1 favor each and… well, we will have to go from there."_

_Emma blinked rapidly under the information and being propelled at her. "W-what?"_

_Regina stood and spun on her recently fixed heels and spoke sharply. "Call them, Emma. Call them and present them with the opportunity. Now."_

_Emma nodded at the demands and pulled out her literal little black book. "Okay I have their numbers here-"_

" _You really should work on memorizing those numbers. It wouldn't do well for one family to bring the rest down with them because one of them is so careless." Regina interrupted with the flippant and obvious comment_

" _Anyways, I know for a fact that the D'emi's are off on the next generation's qualification tests… They're out."_

" _They aren't out of the plan just because of qualifications, Emma. Pull your head out of your ass and see that if we aren't willing to do what needs to be done now Robin will." Regina slapped her hips as she became agitated at Emma's lack of interest in her plan._

" _Okay, but-"_

" _No buts, call them." Regina said it with an air of finality before she slumped, as elegantly as slumping was possible of being, into her seat._

_Emma nodded and began making phone calls. Regina watched as Emma did everything with professionalism that made Regina heat back up in no time. She clenched her thighs together as Emma commanded a runner to make sure Hercules promptly replied back to her. With the D'emi's down Regina had a chance to calm herself before the next call._

_Emma had an internal smirk for the whole next call as she noticed Regina shifting in her seat every time her voice rose higher than what was necessary. She knew the woman still couldn't fully comprehend what had been said, but she loved watching Regina try to control her libido because of it. When she had called everyone on the list she hung up and stared at Regina expectantly. "Done."_

_Regina was breathing hard, unbeknownst to her, and her pupils had dilated. "I want to see it."_

" _What!?" Emma sputtered out as Regina's eyes stayed trained on her crotch even after she snapped her thighs shut._

" _I. Want. To. See. It." Regina and strutted sensually to Emma. Once she made it to the blonde she squatted so her face was waist level with a sitting Emma._

" _Shit," Emma groaned as the woman's hands made their slow trek up her thighs to pry them apart with slightly shaky hands._

_Regina bit her lip and looked up at Emma through fluttering lashes. "Please?"_

_Emma moaned and nodded softly before letting her legs go slack so the woman could have access to her growing bulge. Regina saw the outline clear now. She smoothed her hand from the middle of Emma's thigh all the way until she had a handful of Emma. When Emma twitched and moaned louder Regina rubbed softly, loving the way Emma's breathe would hitch on the downward strokes of her hand._

" _Can I take it out?" Regina asked as she paused her ministrations to bring her hands to Emma's button again._

_Emma bit her lip hard and sighed through her nose before she reached down to remove Regina's hands. "I'm not sure that's the best idea."_

_Regina looked up at her again with flushed skin and a pounding heart. "Why not?"_

" _Because you might see it and wish you never had. You might see it and think what most people think; that I'm a freak. I don't think I could handle you not liking me."_

_Regina chuckled at that and clarified when Emma's faced turned to hurt. "You're worried about a person like_ me _liking you_?"

" _Well, yeah. Look at you, Regina. You're beautiful, powerful, god, you're so fucking perfect it hurts!" Emma whimpered when Regina's hand grabbed her package again._

_Regina squeezed as her eyes turned serious. "You don't get to say those things about me. Not right now, Emma, because I can't do any of that right now. I just want you to fuck me tonight. Let's worry about the rules of who I can and cannot like tomorrow. Okay?"_

_Emma softly replied with an, "Okay," and Regina's hands made it to her waistband faster than humanly possible._


	7. What's Really Going To Happen

_Emma groaned long and hard as her penis sprang free from the confines of her jeans with the help of Regina's smooth hands. It was longer than Regina had expected and just thick enough that her hand was able to fit around it perfectly. The end was curved just a little to the right, but that was hardly noticeable unless you were examining it the way Regina was. It was almost perfect and when Regina moved her hand, feeling all of the veins contacting, she couldn't help the moan she felt herself make. Emma growled at the woman's barely concealed lust and pulled her up by her arms, effectively breaking her out of the trance her penis had put her in. Next thing either of them knew they were locked in a heated kiss, mostly teeth and tongue as Emma tugged and ripped the other woman's clothes off of her body. Regina had Emma bare on the top and bottom before Emma got rid of her last piece of clothing and she was being pushed backwards until the backs of her knees hit cool wood._

" _Spread your legs for me." Emma was all confidence now. She may be lacking self-esteem when she was in clothes but she was all real bravado now and Regina didn't stop the wanton moan or the way her legs snapped open at the request._

" _God, you're beautiful," Emma breathed when Regina opened her legs. She was wet and swollen and everything Emma needed in that moment._

_Regina was growing impatient as she watched Emma lustfully ogle her. "Emma."_

_Emma darkened greens snapped to attention and Regina brought her hand down slowly to her neatly shaven mound. Soon, she was moaning at her own ministrations and making Emma pulse with need._

_Emma growled again and ripped the woman's hand away only to replace it with her tongue moments later. Regina threw her head back at the sudden, but not unwanted, touches and how ravenously Emma ate her, "Yes."_

_Emma moaned in response before she was yanked back up into a bruising kiss._ " _Fuck me," Regina said when they pulled back with swollen lips and hips rocking against each other in slow motions._

_Emma nodded and held herself steady while rubbing the head of her penis through Regina's wetness, making the woman twitch on every swipe it made past her sensitive clit. Emma pushed into Regina slowly as if she was going to spontaneously combust if she went to fast. She might have with how quickly she became dizzy from Regina's tightening around her and pulling her in even further until she was fully sheathed._

" _Emma…" Regina moaned as she brought her hand up to the woman's shoulder as she tried to anchor herself some way, nails digging into the the creamy skin in encouragement._

_Emma began moving faster wanting to provoke more of the noises Regina so freely gave. She was pounding into the woman and meeting every thrust of hip before she stopped and smirked at the little whine she received for it._

" _Turn around." Emma spoke in a husky voice that reminded Regina of how much she needed Emma and she turned without hassle._

_Emma grasped the woman's hips and slammed back into her making the woman cry out obscenities that made her glad that the music was loud enough to drown out their noises of combined pleasure. "You feel so good, Regina. You're wrapped around me so tight."_

_Regina groaned at the fast pace Emma had created and the angle that was making her body sing, all of her problems seemed to fly away and she felt her own juices drip down her thighs. She squeezed her eyes shut as Emma brought a hand around to flick quickly at her clit, and with that she was coming with stars behind her eyes._ _Emma had to fight to keep herself deep inside of Regina, while she came the woman had tightened almost to the point of pain, but she kept pumping. She pushed Regina all the way into another orgasm that had her knees buckling and liquids flowing freely around her shaft. Emma grunted as she blew her load inside of Regina just as Regina pushed her away from over sensitivity._

_Emma was leaning over Regina's limp body, with her hand on either side of the woman's head, as they both fought for breath._ _They weren't able to bask in the feeling for too long because there was an incessant knocking that began to bang at the door followed by hollering of, "Eh!" and "Boss lady!"_

_Regina groaned, although it lost its effect from the smile she wore as she sat up. Emma backed away to retrieve her pants before yelling, "Hold on, will ya!?"_

_Regina had already dress fully, minus the underwear that Emma had stashed for herself, and was looking around for her second shoe. She stood up to a shoe being shoved at her, which she took with a slight blush. She walked over to Emma and pulled her down into a possessive kiss before she got her purse, straightened everything on her person until perfection once again, and strode to the door to open it._

" _What is it that has so rudely interrupted our meeting?"_

_Ruby looked down sheepishly before she thought better of it and stood tall. "You have a vi-"_

" _Hello, Regina." The English rhythm of voice made her freeze in her spot._

_Emma had at that point fixed herself well enough that none of the guys would notice that she had just had the best sex of her life and strolled to the door with a false scowl in place. "What the hell has my guys so damn quiet out here, Regi-" She didn't get to finish her sentence when she caught the heated glare Regina was throwing the stranger in the room. "And just who the_ _**hell** _ _are you?"_

" _Emma, don-" Regina tried._

" _Robin Locksley. At your service and, I believe, we have business to discuss."_

_Emma didn't stop the word forming under her breath that gained Regina's glare. "Shit."_


	8. Ghost Stories

" _So, Savior, or should I call you by your real name? The moniker is a bit pretentious." Robin spoke through a devious chuckle that Regina wasn't used to hearing from him as he sat rigidly in the chair Regina had occupied not the long ago._

_Emma scowled at the man and sunk into her own seat with Regina coming to sit on the edge of the desk that Emma had just had her bent over. "I don't mind it. As long as you know that I am far better than you we're safe. Now, what do you want?"_

_Regina turned to her, fortunately, exed boyfriend and waited for his answer. She didn't know why but she hadn't been herself for the entire day. She wasn't being as cold or calculated as she usually is, and it didn't sit right with her. That would change once Robin began to speak._

" _I came to offer you a deal."_

" _What kind of deal could I possibly want to make with you?" Emma leaned back in her chair tensely, not looking like she had just had amazing sex in that very room._

_Robin looked to Regina and then back to the blonde a couple of times before Emma huffed and asked Regina to speak on her behalf for her reasons of letting the woman stay. The woman rolled her eyes and spat words in his direction. "Any deals you have to offer are being offered to me as well so get on with it."_

" _I see. Well my offer is simple and hard to resist. It's-"_

" _Get on with it!" Emma slammed her hands down on the desk making the once confident man cower slightly in his seat, which Regina took note of._

" _You couple with one of the other families under my protection and provide us with your pilots, crops, and brawn. We will provide you with money to provide the resources, and for yourself, and we will compensate for any past damage we have caused by way of giving you a seat at the table." Robin breathed deeply after his spiel and eyed Regina with longing, which Emma took note of._

" _No." Regina answered while inspecting her nails and cleaning what seemed to be a chip of cherry wood desk out from under them. Emma repeated almost at the same time but was otherwise occupied with the random jilt of jealousy she felt at Robin eyeing Regina like a Christmas dinner._

" _What do you mean no?" Robin sputtered as her looked back and forth between the women. "What are you even doing here?"_

_Regina smirked at his flailing before she stood up and walked to stand behind Emma's chair. Emma smirked along as she felt Regina snake a hand down her shoulder to rest on her chest almost indecently. "You see, Robin, Emma and I are now a married family. What I say goes too. Her family's wellbeing is now equal to my own. Now, what I'd like to know is who is running you because it certainly isn't you, dear."_

_Emma let the confusion past her features for only a moment until she let Regina roll on, she obviously had a plan._

" _Why wouldn't it be?" Robin was lying and Emma could tell. He hadn't even answered a question directly and he was lying already. He would be no good at poker, It was a good thing that the Gold's controlled the casino scene or Robin would be shit out of luck._

" _Because you are nothing but a sniveling little tent pitcher that only had what he had because he stole it from people like me and Emma to keep for his own. You don't have what it takes to run this kind of mission. Like I asked before;_ who _runs_ you _?" Regina was digging her manicured nails into the fabric of Emma shirt now as she spoke, not realizing how intense she was becoming._

" _Regina," Emma left her name hang in the air as she prodded the hand that was beginning to hurt. Regina let go but her eyes never left Robin as he looked down at his now fidgeting hands, his bravado long gone now that he had been called out._

" _I don't know. They give me orders and I follow them. That's all, that's it. I promise you, Regina."_

_Emma knew it was true and her intuition was confirmed by the heavy breath Regina took behind her. She knew too, but that was worse when the only information they had on this person was that they gave orders strong enough to make the weak man follow them._

_Regina wasn't ready to fight a ghost. She had to know what would happen and what the consequences would be when he went back and reported to this ghost. "And if you don't follow these orders? What will happen when you go back and tell them that we said no?"_

_Robin looked up into Regina's eyes as he spoke in a terrified tone. "I don't know. I know that they aren't easy kills. They are brutal. The order from the top is always to bring the heart back warm. You have to accept the offer, Regina."_

" _We will do nothing! You made this decision now you will live and die with it," Emma spoke evenly as she felt a wave of anger wash over her at the way he treated her friends that day._

_Regina was frozen. She had heard about this somewhere from someone before. She began pacing trying to remember where the death had come from. She had done it once before but it wasn't her thing. She liked to torture until she got what she wanted, but not this. It was too much, cutting through and breaking bones to gain her prize, no. No, this was something too far out for her, something that she didn't like doing at all. That's when it came to her. Her eyes widened in fear and her hands trembled as Emma spoke somewhere near her. Emma was all but screaming but it all sounded distant behind the rushing of blood in Regina's ears. Regina's eyes became less glazed as she fought herself to come back to reality. She could finally hear the shouting that Emma was doing. There was warm breath blasting at her nose as Emma looked into her unfocused eyes._

" _What the hell, Regina?"_

" _Would you stop yelling for a moment, Miss Swan?" Emma scratched her forehead when her hands dropped for the woman's shoulders and she waited for Regina to continue._

" _I think I know who our mystery person is." Regina whispered before she turned to Robin and dismissed him with a wave of her hand and cold words. "That will be all. Good luck, Robin."_

" _Good day." Robin looked crushed, defeated, and stood up from his seat. He puffed his chest again before walking out of the office with as little rejection and fear playing on his face as possible._

_Emma sighed and turned back to Regina almost forgetting that she had just sent a man to his death. "What was that all about?"_

_Regina smoothed her hand down her sides and strutted over to the door of the office. "Let's hope you never have to find out, Emma."_

_Emma was left to contemplate the words and actions of the brunette for an hour before she had to leave to take care of something across town. Even while she worked Regina's scared childlike eyes kept replaying over and over in her head until she fell into a fitful sleep that night_.


	9. Forming A Team

_It wasn't her idea to take out the head of operations that was for sure. Emma had no faith in any plan that meant she could be putting her guys in so much danger. She may be part of a mob based town but they were cute little puppies compared to the hounds they would be facing. It was Regina's plan, and hers alone, but that was something Emma would never admit to._

_Regina had shown up at Emma's home the next day looking more put together than Emma could ever be after the events that took past the day before. She was perfect. Her hair was shiny and the glint in her eye was so bright Emma didn't even have to look directly at her to know it was there. This was Regina's forte; planning, undertaking, or overtaking as she put it. Emma was drooling by the time the woman bent over her coffee table to lay out different personal forms she had on every person they would have to get through to get to this infamous person. Emma made sure Regina's plans would work by inserting the men she thought would be able to handle each individual that the information provided for. Regina was so beautiful in all of her maniacal glory, and how her smirk would turn devious when she was really impressed with her own planning of strategies._

* * *

"Guys, we aren't getting anything out of this but some twisted version of a love story." Three men were standing huddled in a corner around a vending machine, speaking lowly about the person currently in interrogation.

"Look, man, we gotta get the confession out of them somehow. That's my job; get the confession and defend. Let's just ride the waves of useless information until we get what we want."

"No way, Ryder! You're totally into this aren't you?" One man yelled while flinging his hand in the man's direction, spilling some of the thick coffee mixture over the rim of his paper cup.

"I'm trying to get information. Now, I'm going to get back in there." The one called Ryder walked off angrily and slammed the outer door of the interrogation room on his way back in.

"Where were we?" He asked once he was settled again.

"They're over me rambling, huh?" The person under questioning at the other side of the table spoke evenly before they took a sip from their can of warm soda.

"It doesn't matter. On with your story."

The person nodded and licked their lips before starting again.

* * *

_Regina and Emma both made the decision to start the next day on rested minds and bodies. It may have been in connection with the fact that after the last round of planning they had another round of something they would only ever call fucking._

_The next day Emma called a meeting at her home and was only slightly nervous to let Regina's guys into the same room as her own. "No fighting among us, understood?"_

_A lot of grumbled yes's were given and that was enough for Emma to continue. "We have a problem that we are going to have to come together to solve. The man in the pub yesterday was the Robin Locksley. He can't be trusted and he is stealing business from us. So, I need two of you to follow him. And two more for each person we feel needs to be handled."_

_Everyone's eyes were alight with the challenge just as Emma hoped. "Who?" was followed by "I'll do it." Emma brought her hands up to quiet the soon to fights and turned to Regina for her to give out the first assignment._

_Regina stepped forward and half of the room began to bicker about how they wouldn't take any orders from the bitch taking position. "I-"_

" _Hey!" Emma stood back up from her recently taken seat and took a menacing stance. "You may have had it easy before now, but this is not going to be easy and if I can't trust you to take orders from someone that I put in charge than you need to leave. Regina will be giving orders, along with me, from here until we fix the problems that were made. Her word is as final as mine. Understood?"_

_They all nodded in fear and turned to Regina who looked beyond pleased but nodded not to show it and began talking. "As I was saying, I believe we need our best on Robin because he will have the closes contact with who or what we need to find. When we find him we will find our head. When we have our head we need to cut it off." Regina looked around the room and stopped on August who was standing in the corner with his arm crossed, not liking where this was going. "We need to put our best trackers out. August, you will go."_

_August turned to Emma and she nodded softly before he nodded and rolled his shoulders. "Okay."_

" _And Ruby…" Regina finished with a drop of her shoulders._

_Ruby jumped up like a dog seeing its owner for the first times in days. "Yeah?"_

_Emma took a deep breath and waited for Regina to give her the go ahead. Emma didn't expect Regina to actually listen to her when she offered the idea of putting Ruby on Robin's tail alongside August. She did though, and Emma could tell that she wasn't confident enough in her own decision to tell the girl her duties out loud. "Ruby, you'll be joining August."_

_Ruby turned to Emma with wide eyes and back to Regina, noting the woman she had come so close to through the years had tears forming in her eyes. "Are you sure, boss?"_

_Regina let a small smile play at the corners of her mouth for the girl and nodded slowly. "Yes. You are one of my best, Ruby. You are going to be a fine tracker. August," The woman turned to the man in question with open eyes. "Don't let anything happen to my girl."_

_With that Regina turned to Emma and gave one final nod as she left the full room in her hands to be alone. Emma turned to the silent crowd who sat in awe of the uptight woman fraying in front of their eyes. She cleared her throat and jabbed her thumb in the direction of the door signaling August and Ruby to follow the woman out. "Ruby, August, get on with it. On the table there are four phones and two duffle bags with everything you'll need including a list of instructions. I expect to hear from you two tonight when you get to the hotel."_

_August let his arms drop from their crossed position over his chest and raised an arm towards the door for Ruby to exit first. When he got close enough to Emma she pulled him closer for a hand shake where their eyes connected and the message she sent him was loud and clear._ Don't fuck this up _._

_Emma let go of the man and turned to everyone else. She pulled the files Regina had brought over out from under her seat's cushion and passed them out to everyone. "Here are your hits. Learn them, know them, and hate them because they will not be on our side if they decide not to agree to the terms we set. I don't care if they have a family of friends because we do too. Read and listen because I will be sending you out in groups to find these people and you will bring them back to me. Got it?"_

_They all gulped audibly before nodding and turning their heads down to read while Emma paced and gave out duffle bags to each chosen group. This was a war now; a war with ghost men. They just needed to find the missing key that made Regina, and apparently everybody else, become so unhinged with fear._

* * *

_Regina could hear the stomping of heavy set men leaving the house and the banging and bashing of bags against thin walls as she sat stiffly staring into one of those walls in a guest bedroom she had found. She didn't tell Ruby goodbye because if the girl and August weren't successful then it wouldn't hurt as bad. It wouldn't hurt as bad when she had to carve another name into her family vault wall. She knew she was setting the girl free to do what she had been wanting to do but it wasn't what she wanted the girl to do. Ruby was only 19 and she had seen too much for a young woman her age. It may have been part of the reason Regina let her go. She had seen so much and went through more than a normal person had so, maybe, some part of Regina knew it was time. She didn't even know August but Emma had let him in on so many inside deals that she had no reason not to trust him. Ruby was ready, she knew it, but it didn't mean that she was ready._

_She had appreciated the way Emma had stepped in for her when she felt like she was just going to send Ruby for a glass of water instead of an enemy underling. The woman seemed to know all of the right times to step on board and be what Regina couldn't. And Regina hoped Emma felt the same when Regina had given August the assignment when the blonde knew she wouldn't be able to. She still didn't have complete faith in their plans but if they could stick together like they had in that room, and against Robin, then at least they wouldn't go down without a memorable fight._

* * *

"Ryder, I'm getting nothing over here. It's just twisting and turning more and more. They are supposed to trust us." The woman spoke as she bent down to retrieve her dropped water bottle.

"Kathryn, they aren't supposed to trust anything. It's set in their minds not to trust us. We have something they want and they aren't going to stop until we give it to them." Ryder smoothed a hand down his stress crinkled forehead and listened to the woman on the line.

"What if we gave them a visit? Do you think that could work? We aren't getting anything out of them this way and we're their lawyers for god sake! We must have some pull somewhere to at least let them have a visit." Kathryn sighed again, losing faith in her ability to work with criminals anymore.

"I don't know, Kat. I'll try but I can't guarantee anything here. That's all we can do now. I know they're guilty; the stories are just too wild not to be true. We just have to try and get to them to let them know that they are making it harder on themselves and that we are only there to help." Ryder looked up and saw the lights above the interrogation room turn green meaning he could go back in. He saw the badged men leaving the room frazzled and angry looking which meant they got nothing. "Kat, I gotta g-"

"Yeah, me too, the belts are worn out so that means I'm back on." Kathryn didn't say bye and neither did Ryder when they hung up and went back into the rooms to try to get through to their clients again.


	10. Gotta Do This Right

" _Shit, Regina. What the hell is wrong with you lately?" Emma spoke softly as she tried to console a frantic Regina._

_It had been two weeks since they had sent everyone out. The town was like a ghost town, no one was there except for the small amount of children that populated the city and mothers, or fathers depending on who brought the money in. They had heard from every team sent and they were all progressing nicely in their searches. There had been one fatality but that was only because of the lack of cooperation on an outside family's part. Emma's guy had killed the group of men like he was told and Regina had been furious or petrified, Emma couldn't tell. The woman yelled and screamed about retaliation and to top it all of it had been two days since they had heard from Ruby and August. They had to go silent if they wanted to keep the trail on Robin, but they found out he was still alive which was a shock to them to say the least. Regina had begun pacing and mumble rant to herself about how he has become a pawn and the leader knows what they were up to. Emma's head span with ideas and plots and schemes that ended every time they were almost out of her mouth, she had nothing._

" _Nothing is_ wrong _with me, Miss Swan." Regina picked up her glass of half spilled wine and started for the living room before Emma stood up and wrapped her arms around her from the back._

" _Talk again but this time try the truth, hmm?" Emma turned her head and inhaled a breath of Regina's spice scented hair before lining small kisses to the straining muscles of her neck._

_Regina dipped her neck to the side and hummed low as Emma planted a series of kisses up her neck until she nibbled on an olive toned ear. "Ruby."_

_Emma sighed and turned the woman around by her shoulders so she could look into he woman's eyes as she spoke. "Ruby is fine. August will not let anything happen to her and if he does you can rip his heart out for all the world to see."_

_Emma's chuckle ended when she noticed Regina's eyes glaze over and her body tense. "Regina?"_

_Regina shook her head and her body out of Emma's reach before setting her glass down on the hall table. She strode from the room with Emma hot on her heels, confused as to what Regina was feeling. "I'm fine Emma."_

_Emma shook her head at the woman and toed the door before it could be shut in her face. "You're lying to me again. If we are going to do this we have to keep it honest, Regina."_

_Regina spun around with wet eyes that still held a fire. "And what exactly_ are _we doing, Em-ma?"_

 _Emma gulped at the way Regina spoke and, if she were honest, she didn't know what she had meant. They weren't in a relationship, they were partners, but not in the way neither would admit to wanting to be. "We can't get through this_ as partners _if we aren't honest. Better?"_

_Regina smirked at the flushed and flustered blonde before going over to the closet and pulling out clothes. "Okay, if you must know… I'll tell you."_

_Emma stood and waited as the woman walked past her to grab two towels before throwing them over her shoulder and walking from the room into the bathroom. "Regina! I thought you were going to tell me?"_

_Regina peeked her head around to look at the woman with lust written all over her face. "I am. First, I would like to take a shower to help with the tension in my shoulders. Join me, hmm?"_

_Emma's jaw was on the floor as she watched the woman speak and unbutton her shirt at the same time, not remembering how she got to be in the middle of the bathroom watching the show Regina was giving. She nodded wordlessly and pulled her own shirt over her head. The action caused Regina's breath to quicken, and her hands to work on her own clothes quicker, as she watched the muscles in Emma's stomach flutter and tense. Emma was done before Regina and stepped into he already running shower before the brunette came barreling after her to attach onto her neck instantly. Regina moaned as she felt Emma back into the shower wall and reach down to grab her ass, squeezing and rubbing and moaning as Regina continued her attack._

" _Tell me." Emma encouraged and flipped their positions so Regina was the one with her back pressed into the shower wall, and Emma's lips running along her neck._

" _Later," Regina groaned when Emma sucked a perfect earlobe into her mouth and ran her tongue along it._

_Emma growled at the woman before she reached her hands down to find purchase on the back of the woman's thighs. "Tell me," Emma said with a smirk that found its way onto her lips when Regina moaned at her display of strength when the brunette found her feet off of the ground and hooked above Emma's ass._

_Regina had a smirk of her own when she rocked into Emma's stiff member. "Later," she repeated and reached down to stroke Emma a couple of times before guiding her dick to her open wet heat._

_Emma nodded and finally gave into the pleasure that only Regina could seem to give her. She pushed in and out a few time before the water dripping into her eyes became too much, she wanted to see Regina come undone. Emma stopped long enough to put the woman back on her feet and turn her around so that her front was pressed against the back wall of the shower. When she pushed back in she was please when Regina let out a needy whimper at the angle._

" _H-Harder, Emma." Regina moaned louder when Emma pace sped up and practically screamed when the woman started pounding deeper than she thought possible._

_Emma was pushing hard to hold herself but she could feel her balls tighten even further. She couldn't hold herself much longer so she reached her hand around and flicked Regina's clit to the rhythm that she was pounding in and out of her at. "Fuck, Regina!"_

_Regina was banging on the wall that her nails dragged down fruitlessly. She was overcome with the feelings Emma was supplying her body with. When she finally came Emma grunted at the almost painful tightening around her, she couldn't pull out when she came harder than she could remember ever coming._

_Regina finally went limp against the wall while Emma pulled out of her. Emma wrapped her arms around the woman and turner them so she was under the now lukewarm water. Emma washed the woman's hair with something other than loving hands because that would never do. Regina reveled in the attention as she tried to keep her emotional walls as high as possible because enjoying Emma's non-loving hands washing her body just would not do._

_Emma stepped out of the shower first and pulled Regina out behind her she could towel dry the woman's skin in smooth motions. Emma noticed Regina become shut off when she had slumped against the wall in the shower and she was trying not to make any sudden movements as if that would set the woman off and she would blow. Emma led the naked woman into the room, forgoing the pajama set Regina had set out for one of her high school t-shirts. Once Regina was dressed Emma put on boxers and a shirt of her own before leading the zombie-like brunette to the bed and sitting her down and sitting right beside her._

" _Regina?" Emma asked as she took the woman's hand almost out of a habit she wouldn't admit to having._

" _I'm fine, Emma," Regina repeated yet the way she squeezed Emma's hand when the blonde attempted to pull away said otherwise._

_Emma nodded and confirmed that she wouldn't let go with a squeeze of her own. "Tell me, Regina."_

_Regina heaved two breaths before she looked up and into Emma's eyes when she finally spoke, scaring Emma all the way along. "My mother."_

" _Your mother what, Regina?" Emma was looking into the fearful brown eyes and watched as memories passed behind Regina's eyes._

" _She is the one behind all of this, Emma."_


	11. Planning An Escape

_"Your mother?" Emma squeaked her way through the frantic question before taking a deep breath and starting over feeling the effects of the pleasure wear off completely. "Can you tell me how you know at least? Is that why you have been so weird since Robin came here?"_

_Regina was pulled out of her reveries once again to look clearly at Emma's worried eyes. She hated that this woman could make her feel safe by one worried look. "She used to be known as the Queen of Hearts. She is the only person ravenous enough to kill the way Robin described, Emma. Also, now I know why this is happening. She wants me back under her rule and she will not stop until I am under that heavy thumb of hers once again. I will not end up there again."_

_By the time Regina is done speaking she was up and pacing like a mad woman would. Emma sat and watched her like anyone would watching a mad woman unravel under the pressure; in shock. She hadn't expected to get anything out of the woman before she blew up on her and kicked her out of the room. She doesn't know if she is happy or terrified about Regina telling her that her mother is the ghost boss. If this woman could elicit this type of fear in Regina, how ruthless is she really?_

_"Regina...", Emma started._

_"She can not take us down Emma. Do you understand? She will not take us down, we have to stay strong through this all she can't find any weaknesses in our ranks. How loyal are your people? They have to stay that loyal. They can't stray!" Regina kept pacing asking questions and throwing out more reason before the questions could be answered._

_"Regina!" Emma was beginning to become dizzy and she could no longer watch her partner spin conversation threads with herself. It was becoming painful to watch, honestly._

_Regina turned to see that Emma was standing directly in front of her looking into her eyes so deeply that she had to turn away before she lost it more than she already had. "Emma she can't gain on us. I know that she is keeping Robin alive because she knows that we will follow him. We have to call it off. We have to."_

_Emma shook her head sadly as she spoke words that Regina knew already. "You know that we can only communicate once they have contacted us first. It is for their safety as much as ours. The last time we spoke to them was 2 days ago and you know they will call us at the next stop. We will tell them to call it off, but you know that it is not wise since they probably have tails on our tails if she honestly knows that we are coming to her directly. They know what they're doing, Regina"_

_Regina shook Emma's hands off of her shoulders from the spot they had ended up during Emma's spiel and turned around to face the window as she spoke. "I know that you are not aware of what my mother is truly capable of. However, if you thought what I did to your men that night was bad.." Regina raised her hand to stop Emma before she started to rant as she was sure the blonde would. "She will make me look like a kitten when she is done. I have sent out my only real family to find that woman and I am not okay. I would like to be alone to compose myself."_

_"Regina how can I help if I don't know how you are feeling? I want to help you. I want to make you feel safe. I will not let you go through anything that woman throws at us alone." Emma was behind the woman now watching as she tensed more as she spoke but she wanted to make sure that Regina knew she was not alone as long as she would allow her in._

_Regina was not going to cry she told herself when she entered this role she would not cry again for anyone or anything. This was the choice that she made and she would deal with it herself. She did not need Emma around to make her feel weak the way that she does. She would not feel weak again. Ever. "Miss Swan, maybe you did not hear me... Leave. I do not want you here. Just because we have fucked a few times does not mean I am going to fall in love with you and confess all of my deepest darkest dreams and fears and wants and weaknesses! Leave me alone!"_

_Regina spoke low and cold once more before Emma's hand could reach its destination. "Don't."_

_Emma hand't noticed before but she had a tear making a trail down her cheek from the hurt that had penetrated her when Regina reduced their activities to just 'fucking'. She had seen the way the brunette had stared into her eyes and the way the woman held onto her with all of her might when she thought Emma might let her go. Emma knew the truth, but it was obvious Regina was not ready, and Emma would leave her be until she was._

_"I will leave you alone. I will be ready to fight by your side when it comes. It will come and we know it will. I will need you as much as you me. Try to get over yourself before then, your majesty." Emma left the room to hide away in the guest bedroom wondering how in the hell the woman had taken her room and her heart in less than a month._

* * *

_"What do you think we should do?" August turned to Ruby letting the girl decide on their next move._

_Ruby shook her head slowly taking in the pictures on the phone in her hands. "Regina knows already. I know she does. We do not go back to that hotel. They will be there. We will take a drive upstate, about an hour, to get that black Toyota off of our ass that you have not noticed was there for the past hour. We will not stop until we reach my granny's estate. There we will have weapons better than these, dirtier and more medieval, but way more effective for the job you need done." Ruby paused in her directions to smirk before the next words breezed out. "We are going to fuck some shit up, August."_


	12. This Is The Calm?

It had been at least 24 hours since they had looked directly at each other let alone spoke. Emma was too stubborn to ask the woman if she needed any help with her planning. She refused to get shot down again so when she heard the woman begin to move in the other room the next morning she waiting until she heard the door open and close and for the shower to turn on that she got up ran to the room and grabbed a set of clothes and got herself ready. She repeated this tactic until she smelled coffee brewing, signaling the woman was in the kitchen and away from her path, so that she could dash down the stairs and shut herself within her study before the brunette could take it for herself. She was just shutting the door while taking a deep breath after her mad dash when she heard a high pitched giggle behind her which made her jump and turn to see who the giggle was from.

"Gold. Who let you in?" She grumbled as she walked past the man leaning casually against his cane with the ever present smirk painted across his lips.

"I did, Miss Swan." Regina spoke as she opened the door carrying a try filled with coffee and mugs. A tray that Emma didn't even know she owned at that.

Emma rolled her eyes at the woman before she set her heart on a cup of coffee and she felt slightly better about being bombarded with the two heavy elephants in the room. "What do you want, Gold?"

"Ah ah! Not I, but what do _you_ want? I was the one who was called here by _both_ of my proteges... I guess it was only the trouble maker then, hmm?" He spoke and directed the last words towards Regina making the feisty brunette roll her eyes and causing Emma to chuckle.

"So, I'm not the trouble maker for once?" Emma asked disbelievingly, feeling proud of herself for once in a long time over the small victory she had over Regina.

"Oh no, Miss Swan. You are your own kind of trouble. However, Regina knows why it was said." Gold winked at Emma and turned back towards Regina who was just finishing another patented roll of her eyes and a huff directed at the two.

"I called you here to let you in on some changes that have happened. I would hate for my adviser to be left out of the loop."

Gold smirked and took a seat before leaning his cane against the side of his chair. "Ah. Well, go on then you know I do love to be kept in your ever present loop as you call it."

Regina huffed once before sitting down and speaking as if she was speaking about the weather, all while making everyone a cup of coffee. "As I am sure you know, Robin is not the one in charge of this mess. He is only the recruiter. Gold, please tell me that you know who this mystery person is that everyone is afraid of."

Gold stared Regina in the eyes knowing that she just did not want to come out and say what everyone already knew. He nodded his head at her pleading eyes and spoke slowly after taking a small sip o his bitter drink. "Seems the queen is not dead after all, princess. Or would you now be a **demoted** princess?"

Emma sat quietly scrolling through her phone and enjoying her cup of coffee until she heard the word not dead followed by Gold's god awful movie villain inspired giggle. "Excuse me? This woman is supposed to be dead?"

Regina rolled her eyes again, and Emma was beginning to get a complex from the woman's constant eye rolls. "Of course. She just isn't is all. "

The imp turned to Emma before Regina could omit anymore of the story. "Mommy dearest was sentenced to death by Regina herself. The house was blown up. Why, a blast like that should have sent the woman to a different realm for gods sake. That woman is just more immortal than the stories say. Regina stop that. "

Regina looked up as both Gold and Emma's eyes watched her swirl her cup. " I have done nothing."

Gold pursed his lips like a mother who knew that you weren't studying with the girls Saturday night. "Exactly you have done nothing but sulk all week since you found this out. Has she not?" He looked to Emma for the answer. Like a mother waiting for the younger child to tell when they saw their sibling put that fancy dress on before leaving to "study".

"I-Well… I can't really say. I… um" Emma was looking from one sharp look to the other as they stared her down.

"You can tell him, Emma. I know you want to." Regina rolled her eyes for the 15th time too many for Emma.

Emma growled before slamming her mug down on the cherry wood table, not caring about the spill of the contents of a third of the cup. "You know what Gold? It's true Regina has been acting funny I thought it was just because I have been fucking her brains out, but I guess you see other wise. Also, she is a self righteous, closed off bitchy, witch of an asshole. Maybe that's just me too though." Emma shrugged before stomping out of the room with Regina hot on her heels apologizing to Gold and asking him wait just a moment longer to speak.

Regina caught up Emma's quick step finally and spun her around before forcing her against the wall with a hand pressing tighter around her throat. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Emma, despite turning a shade darker from the pressure being placed in the main vein providing blood flow to her brain, smiled in the rush of the excitement she had not felt in too long for a mob worker. "What? Eh, Gold knows I'm only joking around. Even though we both know I'm not joking and you want me inside of you right now, pushing your face into this wall, making you scream my name. Like I said, he doesn't see what I see.

Regina growled before giving a tighter squeeze and releasing the blonde who began wheezing after being let go finally. Regina made a full 180 turn before Emma pulled her back to press against her front and began to breathe heavily into her ear as she whispered harshly. "If you ever try that without good reason in my own home again. I can promise that the hand around my throat will be in a jar of formaldehyde on my mantle." Emma breathed in deeply and felt Regina shiver. The blond smirked deeply at the knowledge that Regina was turned on at that, and pushed the woman away roughly before walking off towards the stairs. Yelling over her shoulder, "Tell Gold I said bye. I am gonna take a shower now."

Regina took a moment to compose her racing heart, smooth down her shirt, and fluff her hair back into place before she joined Gold again. Who just so happened to be admiring Emma pinned insect collection. He spoke low and slow for the woman to comprehend. "Don't underestimate Miss Swan, Regina. She packs a punch, and you would do well to use it and be afraid of it all at once."

"What is that supposed to mean, Gold?"

Gold he turned from the framed collection and spoke at the same speed and level. "Do not get me wrong, Regina, you were always my favorite student, if you will, but Emma is a formidable opponent. If this really is our dear Cora then Emma will fight for everything and with everything for her family. Your people are in alliance now and that means you are family. Don't be that naive girl anymore, and realize that you will need help with this battle. You are weak when it comes to your mother, always have been, and stupid when it comes to showing that you care about the people that matter."

Regina huffed and crossed her arms waiting for the man to continue as he did when he knew the floor was his. When he didn't go on for 2 minutes she got tired of the silence and she spoke. " That was all that you wanted to say? I was sure that you would have had an outburst followed by wise words to soothe the naive girls soul to make her feel like she wasn't the cause of yet another persons anger, ending with another outburst before it was my turn to speak in a calm voice so I don't anger you anymore."

Gold scoffed and walked to his coat and draped it over his thinning arm. "I guess it's time for the both of us to stop being so naive and just get out the important information without all of the extra bullshit you seem to be so fond of these days. You know why you called me here and we both know that it wasn't for my brawn since that has long gone and I have paid my dues. So, don't fuck up Regina, she won't let you go this time if you don't start shutting the fuck up and doing your job."

Regina stood stock still as the limping man breezed past her far faster than she would have thought with his crippling aging body. She had never heard him speak so deeply, maybe it wasn't very deeply to an outsiders ears, but for Gold it was as deep as it gets without yelling passionately about nonsensical "bullshit" as he calls it now.

Bullshit is all she had to give now. She would just have to learn the correct people to dish it to.


	13. Fifty Shade of Creep

_**A/N: Don't own characters or anything like that.** _

_**TW/Character death-** _

_**You guys are not gonna like this. It needs to happen for the plot to continue though. Enjoy.** _

* * *

 

**"Did you really think that the 2 hour chase was going to loose us little one?"**

**Ruby smiled evilly as August took a deep breath readying himself for the fight that was on its way. "Oh I was planning on you following us. We are all trained for this, why fight dirty? Let's do this the old fashioned way, hmm? We all know Mr. Grey Brows over there will know how to do it, but you… eh I don't know if you are ready for that. "**

**Two men stood at the bottom of the front porch to Granny's old dilapidated cottage in the deep woods. One wear a black over dramatic trench coat, that would make Ruby laugh if she weren't trying so hard to be serious, round glasses, and with those she has a flash back to that one guy from Sin Citythat every body knows about but never remembers his name because he was creepy and everyone would rather forget him. The other was seasoned for sure he had finely groomed salt and pepper facial hair that ran smoothly into is still full salt and pepper head of hair, even after being older than 45, he wore a light brown fighter jacket, plain blue Levi's, and he had a face and body that Ruby would probably jump if this were any other time in a dark bar somewhere. Both held guns that Ruby was taunting them to drop and fight a clean fight. The older man turned when Ruby gave him a nickname and scoffed. "Missy, you had better learn some respect before I teach you some with my friend here."**

**August jumped in at that knowing that if Regina found out he let her girl get spoke to like that he would be dead, if these guys didn't kill him first. " Hey now! All the girl is asking for is a real fight. You want to take us out the easy way fine, but I know that it has been awhile since any of us have had a real reason to fight it out like real men…" Ruby cleared her throat before he continued. "… and women."**

**The creepy guy laughed, and Ruby jumped when it came out with a squeaky edge and he creeped her out even more. "You ladies wanna fight, fine. Let's get this over with, Lou."**

**Ruby smirked at the guy knowing that creepy dude was hers and Mr Grey Brows was August's because he was too fine to be brought down by her fists. She whispered these ideas to Aug who shrugged as a tell that he had heard her plan. " Alright guys. The shed has some basic and no easy flesh ripping tools such as the rule breakers in your hands. You want some go get them."**

**"When did this become a game with rules, certain weapons, and all of that shit?" Mr. Grey Brows.**

**August chose to reply this time. His voice was deep and gravely as he spoke. "You will need the weapons if you want to win this."**

**"Alright. Winner gets to take the losers…" Trench Coat looked to Lou for a bit of help and then older man just shrugged off his coat and walked away to the shed, leaving the man with his own ideas. "We get the losers big toes."**

**Ruby laughed as much as she could when she was completely mortified that someone in the mob only has the idea to take someone's toes as souvenirs. "Listen trench coat. Just go get your fucking pick of the shed. Come back. Fight."**

**The man began to walk away when August yelled out to him. "I want your brain because yours is fucked!"**

**The man dropped his gun wear he stood and began to walked back to the shed where his partner was walking out with club that Ruby had made herself when she was 12 years old. A club made from oak and it had a rusty boat hook on the end. "Nice choice, Grey Brows." Ruby praised his choice making the man roll his eyes and text the club's weight in his hands.**

**August growled as he started to walk towards the man. " You sure you don't want to go now and make a run for the border?"**

**The man scoffed and as he went to answer he swung the club at August's head. "Nah, kid. But you should have."**

**August was not ready for the swing resulting in his arm stinging from the cut that the hook caused. 'I am gonna need a tetanus shot for that now, Lou."**

**Ruby began to get giddy when Lou's partner came running from the shed at the sound of the scuffle that had began. As he ran towards his friend to help. Ruby pulled the mini machete from her belt loop and spun fast enough to stop him in his tracks by holding the blade to his throat. "I said a clean fight. That is what we will have. Now, I see that you chose my bosses favorite."**

**The man was breathing hard and scowling as he looked down to the weapon he had chose. "Why would your boss choose a whip?"**

**Ruby shrugged and swung her leg around the back of his making him drop flat onto his back, breath rushing from his lungs on impact. Ruby jammed a knew into his chest as she bent down far enough to smell his rotten breath and shrugged before she spoke. "Because she has good aim. I swear I have seen her take out an entire deer eye with that thing" She paused as she easily jammed the handle of the machete into the mans jar making blood pour from his lip instantly. "…and she is extremely bad at choosing practical weapons to win a fight. Why did you?"**

**The man's face filed with a dark flash of fear as Ruby understood just why he had chosen the stupid whip of Regina's. "Ah, you didn't even think I would have a chance."**

**"Look at you. You're a girl. How old are you 16? Grow up and smell the shitty smelling roses, chick." He quickly caught her off guard with a smashing fist to her nose as she stumbled backwards she faintly heard his words as the blood rushed through her ears and out of her now mostly broken nose. "Or.. don't."**

**Ruby was still trying to stop the bleeding as the creepster walked and stood over her casting out all of the light that was left from the full moon. He hunched over her and wrapped the whip around her neck and pulled it taut over her throat. She began to gasp for breath as he pulled tighter at each end. She open her eyes and surveyed his feature as the vein in his forehead popped as he pulled tighter making her vision swim just a bit. Her thoughts started flying through her head as she scraped uselessly at the weaved threading around her throat. Holy hell, I die by Regina's whip with Creepin Pants standing over me slobbering from excitement like a dog. God, Regina is going to kill me. Wait… Never mind that now think before this weirdo takes your toes! She watched as his face began to waver when she stared back at him and with the last bit of strength she could muster she lifted her leg with all of the strength mustered. If she was not coughing on the air that had filled her lungs so suddenly she would have laughed at his high pitched squawk that would put a seagull to shame. "Fucking asshole! I'm 19! You choked me with my aunt's shitty whip and you have a hard on!"**

**Ruby breathed deeply as her hand closed around the handle again and she looked up with the most deathly stare she could scrounge up from the exhaustion she felt already. The man was rolling in his own pain not realizing that his opponent was gaining on him. She grabbed him by his insanely over complicated hair and yanked with all that she had, making him scream again, before she could look him in the eyes. She craned his neck back even further so her lips were just barely brushed his ear as she whispered the last words to him. "You can't have my toes. I have warts anyway, so not much fun."**

**His eyes were closed but snapped open at the last sentence before she sliced his throat leaving a spurting jagged groove in his neck. She watched even through the blood dripping from her eyelashes as the light left his perverted eyes. "Fucking creep."**

**She hadn't noticed how quiet it was until she turned and saw the other two men lying in the grass. One only slightly moving and she hoped against everything that this one was August. "August!" When she heard only a cough in return she ran as quick as she could to the other end of the yard where the other men were fighting. She felt tears spring to her eyes when she made it to August as he gargled on blood colored the same as the sky as it pours from the deep curved chucks taken out of his left side, leg, and right arms. The gash I bis side was what did him in, it was at least 3 inches wide open and it was pouring. Ruby knew there was no way to stop it from bleeding so far out of the city. Still, she tour her hood from her body and held it to his side, "What the hell Aug?"**

**August looked up at her with dimming blue eyes. He smiled softly at her before he spoke in a grave rough voice. "Regina is going to kill me, Rubes."**

**Ruby laughed wetly and nodded along with him. "Damn right she is."**

**"You have to go back. We already lost the trail on Robin. You gotta get back, kid."**

**Ruby shook her head vehemently as she pressed the sweater against his side even harder. " No, I am not going back without you! I am not going back at all. I have to find Cora and you will help me dammit!"**

**August brought his hand up to to calm Ruby's ranting and make her listen as he grew more tired. "Ruby. You have to go back and tell Emma to fuck some shit up, remember? I need you to go back and tell Emma 42. Tell her and she will understand. Alright, Ruby?" When Ruby shook her head in denial of what August was telling her he continued. "You can ignore it if you want, but I won't make it back, Ruby. This is the life that we signed up for. Don't forget that this is what you wanted, and it is not gonna be easy" a sputtered cough leaving his lips covered in blood and Ruby flinching at the outlooks. "You will be just fine if that fight with.. ah… the creep has anything to say. Please, Ruby, tell Emma okay?"**

**Ruby didn't have any words left as her tears flowed freely over August's cooling fingers. She nodded quickly and wiped away with her tear with the back of her bloodied hand. "42, Ruby. Repeat it to me tell me, please?"**

**"42, Aug. I got it." August nodded slowly and smiled a bit before speaking for the last time. "Shit, I totally wanted to force you to name a baby after me. It's all good do it anyway, yeah?"**

**Ruby laughed as August wiped the last tear on her cheek away. "Thank you, August." When she opened her eyes August was looking at her but his eyes were empty a void of any remaining life.**

* * *

 

**Ruby stood up quickly away from him but not before pulling on her doubled pair of rubber gloves, and taking her sweater back to the fire pit August and her had set up before the bastards had gotten there. She stripped each body of the clothing, hosed them down, and gathered all of the weapons used. She stripped herself as well before walking naked to complete her next tasks. She wiped the weapons down as she watched the clothing burn in the fire pit. She cleaned out the car of Creep, and Grey Brows shit, before hosing it down too. She dowsed the car in gasoline before throwing three sticks with bright flames into the sunroof, back window, and into the trunk. She went into the cottage and washed out the glasses her and August had just drank from, dried them and put them into the cabinet just as they were before.**

**She looked around the house to make sure that she hadn't forgotten anything before she left. Walking back to the car she grabbed a pair of August's sweat pant, a hoodie, and a pair of work boots. Shed threw her rubber gloves into the fire pit before she slumped onto the log and finally realized that she had been crying the entire time. She screamed while pulling her hair at her temples. She sat on the log watching the flames dies out almost completely until the air got colder with the morning coming around. She knew she couldn't be there when the sun came up and she had the watched the fires do their jobs.**

**She got into the car and took one last look at the cottage before pulling out of the forest opening onto a one way wooded road. She looked down into the cup holder and saw the last phone that they had available for check ins. She shook her head at herself and drove until she saw the Welcome to Storybrooke sign ahead.**

* * *

 

**When Ruby pulled up to Emma's home at Regina was already pulling open the door before she got the chance to knock. "You're back! What happened to you?!"**

**Emma came thudding down the stairs yelling "Aug!" She stopped short when she didn't see the man with the young girl**

**Regina pulled the girl in for a hug while checking the yard for the humor filled eyes of the man that she had trusted with her only family. She turned her head slightly with the girl still in her arms and whispered. "Where is August?"**

**Ruby just shook her head while looking Emma in the eyes and speaking foar more evenly than a 19 year old should after seeing and doing what she had. "42"**

**Regina pulled away and turned around to look at the blonde. She looked to Ruby with confused eyes and back to Emma just as the woman picked up a vase and flung it across the hallway sending shards of glass everywhere. One piece bounced back and cut her cheek before she screamed in a deep agony that even Regina could feel Twisting her heart. Regina watched as Emma collapsed to the ground, not caring about the glass probably cutting away at her knees or the tears that mixed with blood as it dropped to the floor in front of her hunched body.**

**Emma took in all of the air she could with her lungs tightening. Emma remembered making this deal with August and she would keep up her end no matter how she felt at that moment. Emma shook in and out on her breath before standing up and brushing herself off. She walked over to the Kleenex box on the mail table on the other side of the hallway and wiped the blood dripping down her cheek and the tear trails below her eyes. She looked to the women, who had been staring at her with empathy in their eyes, and smiled a tight painful smile. "I am glad that you are okay, Ruby. We missed you! Nice shiners you got there. Would you like something to drink, eat maybe?"**

**When neither one of them answered her she shrugged and walked off towards her study. "Suit yourself, I am gonna get a drink."**

* * *

 

**_A/N: Let me know all of the words. See you next chapter!_ **


	14. Confessions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I hope you guys enjoy this!

 

Ryder stood quietly watching as the two brute cops manhandled the woman yet still could not get any other answers besides the ones he had already gotten. "Come on don't take that. Just give them some-"

"Talking to yourself looks good on you, Ryder." Kathryn spoke as she walked through the watch room door, stack of files in hand.

"You know you aren't supposed to be here, Kat. Please tell me that those files are a confession from her!"

"Sorry to disappoint. I'm not even paying attention to your girl or heavy hands in there. Got anything yet?"

"She hasn't said anything but more of the pointless story that they have been spouting off to us. Are their stories even still going along with each other? I don't know. It's driving me crazy! Why won't she just won't let me help?!" He was pacing the small room now hands on his hips, shoulders slumped.

Kathryn quite enjoyed watching her husband out of sorts because he was always the smoother one when it came to tricky cases like these. "That's nice that you are talking to me about your impending mental break down, honey. However, I actually meant on the visitor, have you got anything there?"

The man just rolled his eyes at his wife's comment on mental breakdowns before letting his hands drop to his sides. "He was a tough one to find, and I do mean that literally. The kid was hiding from everyone but I put on my charm and he came out and talked to me. He said he wouldn't come with me. Didn't even let me try to offer him in return for coming with me. He says he'll only go with his cousin. She's missing and the kid is going to have a hard time if he will only go with her. Also, if he keeps breaking out, but he won't listen."

"Did you tell him who he was going to see?" Kathryn was confused. This boy was smart not to like them, she supposed, but he was also making it very hard for them. Which was also smart, she supposed.

"I told him and he said 'that's what they told me last time, Ryder'. This kid knows things. He's 5!" The man ran a hand through his hair roughly before looking to his wife again.

The blonde woman chuckled at the mans disparity before she thought of something. "What about a phone call?"

"How? He only comes out when I am there. He is making me do this bird call thing now, long story. Which means that only your woman will get to speak. Unless you forgot, we need both confessions, Kathryn." Ryder slumped into the one flimsy medal fold up chairs in the room and rubbed his eyes from the crust they had accumulated from no sleep.

Kathryn was busy on her phone and still quietly chuckling at the mans bird call issue. "I am sure the judge won't mind if I stay in just for the call."

"No. You will not risk the entire case for them by breaking rules just because we are not getting this done on our own." Ryder was looking fiercely from Kathryn to the woman in the interrogators room where she was looking straight ahead to the door where right across the hall the only person who could make her smile, and not look so down right crushed, at a time like this sat. She looked as though she could cry, but everyone knew she wasn't that type of woman. "Our only job is to try to fight for these two and you want to fuck that up? No. We are close I feel it just give it some time before we start doing under handed things, okay?"

"Okay." Kathryn hugged and put her phone away to make sure he knew that she agreed, but not before making a mental note to add the judge as a favorite for easy dialing.

"Thank you." Ryder stood and pulled her into a hug. Both of them cringing at the others body odor. "Go home take a shower it's your girls turn with brute and brute 2."

"Yeah, okay. Don't act like I smell worse than you though!" She yelled over her shoulder as she left the room. What she didn't see was the loving smile that turned into realization that he would do anything to protect that woman. He would protect her from ruining her own career too. Like getting permission to do illegal things from a barely legal judge, he couldn't let her do that to herself or her case.

"I've got it!"

He smacked on the double window 4 times and noticed that the woman whipped her head around fast, limp hair flailing with her movements, and sat with her head tilted like a confused puppy as if she were waiting for something else. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she just tilted her head the other way and her eyes became glassy. Even as he walked out of the watch room she still stared at the mirror seemingly waiting.

"What did I tell you guys about being so rough?"

"Go tell someone who cares about your 'everybody is innocent until proven guilty' rules" Brute 2 spoke as he rolled up his sleeves right before opening the door across the hall where the other woman had been moved earlier that evening.

Brute 1 shook his head at the lawyer as he spoke with more respect than his partner. "I will try to keep him calmer with this one, but she gets under his skin real bad, Ryd."

Ryder nodded knowing that fact was true. The woman was smart, and pretty, and Brute 2 was not which meant that she threatened him in every way possible.

He turned his head and just as the door was closing he saw the other woman sitting tapping out a rhythm on the table as she stared towards the door with a blank stare. He stood and counted as the door swung shut. 1, 2, 3, 4 then 1, 2. Repeat.

He turned his head and walked through the door for his interrogation room and stopped in his tracks as he was faced towards the door closing it. He listened closely to the low thumping sound coming from his client. 1, 2, 3, 4 then 1, 2. Repeat again.

He didn't know what to do with the information just yet, but his plan was already forming nicely and this bit helped everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Please let me know what you guys think so far!


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